garage builders, is this a good idea?

[ohiozj]

ok, here goes:

we have a detached 2 car garage, its your normal size, only fits standard sized cars etc...
i have room on the side of it to add a larger single oversized garage that i want to do as an add-on, and just bust a hole out and connect the two with a door. the plan is for it to have a 9-10 foot door and a lift inside. but first of all i dont know if it would be worth it to add-on or tear the whole thing down and build from scratch(more expensive obvoulsly)
i dont plan on staying in this house for more than 4-5 years, so i dont know if i want to put that much into the garage.
so what i think i have come up with is just lay a slab next to the garage, plan ahead if i ever did want to add on, and make sure the slab was reinforced where needed. and put a lift on it and leave it outside in the weather. that way its easy enough to take the lift with me when i leave, and then it will just be a slab for the next owner for extra parking or whatever.

reason is i really want a nice flat work space, and have access to those awnings if i need to stay out of the weather. and the driveway is blacktop and needs redone, so it sucks working on that. so.. temporary fix, have a nice level concrete pad to work on.

[darkstar]

if you were in Arizona, I would say go for it. in Ohio, I'm not so sure its a good idea to have your lift outside.

[saf-t scissors]

Sounds reasonable to me. I'd do a turned-down slab. If you change your mind later, you can just frame up some stud walls and shoot them into the slab.

[ohiozj]

as far as weather, i could try and mount all the lift electronics in the existing garage, or maybe build a weather proof box around them where they stand. as far as the rest of the lift, it should be fairly weather resistant, i dont plan on leaving it outside forever.

[demonranger]

if you are even remotely considering building something on the slab then make sure that the slab meets the current building codes for a foundation and that if you are in an are that would require inspections before the slab is poured you take care of the foundation requirements before you pour what for now will just be a slab

[CJeep77]

Morehouse welding has had a lift outside next to their shop for as long as I can remember (you may know of them). As long as your wiring is proper for outside exposure, I'd say go for it.

[ohiozj]

yea, i know that place. i grew up just up the street from there. never noticed the lift outside though (only been there once or twice)

[WTF?]

Have you considered a lean-to on the side of the existing garage to cover this slab/lift area?

[ohiozj]

yea, but at the gutter end its not very high off the ground. the gable is front and back with the gutters on each side running front to back. lift posts are 8-9 ft. tall depending on make and model. i need more vertical space than that.

but i did consider it

[DSW]

if you are even remotely considering building something on the slab then make sure that the slab meets the current building codes for a foundation and that if you are in an are that would require inspections before the slab is poured you take care of the foundation requirements before you pour what for now will just be a slab

I agree, You will need footings under the slab if you ever intend to frame up the structure. Check in advance if you need to pull a permit to document that the footings were properly installed (inspected). I would also photograph the footings before / durring the pour to document them for posible future construction. This is what we frequently do to document "patios" that clients plan to enclose at a future date.

[ohiozj]

thanks for the help guys.

[fairlane_68]

put down a slab, then build one of those $499 carports over it.

[CRO]

you could build a roof over the lift and then have it go up with the arms , it would keep the weather off of the lift mechanism and you wouldn't need to build it any higher than the top channel of the lift (assuming a clear floor unit)

[negativeswitches]

you could build a roof over the lift and then have it go up with the arms , it would keep the weather off of the lift mechanism and you wouldn't need to build it any higher than the top channel of the lift (assuming a clear floor unit)

if designed right yes neat idea

thats alot of payload for the lift though

[MilCrawl]

my .02

if you are not planning on staying there too long dont do anything too perminent. the outside lift with a car cover sounds good to me

[Wyoming9]

The outside lift covered with a good tarp

Big enough to cover a vehicle on the lift if it turns into a little longer job than you thought.:D

[bigdreamin]

Truthfully if you're not staying learn to work with out the lift for the time being. I'd say you'll be lucky to get 8 months use out of it before it's to bitterly cold to work outside for any period of time.

[ohiozj]

well, im not set on getting the lift the same time the concrete goes in. i just want to plan ahead to get the footers for it where i need them so when it comes time to get one ill be all set.
step one is get the concrete in so i have a nice smooth level work surface.

step two is get the lift in

step three (if at all) build structure around one and two